Birds of a Feather
Birds of a Feather is the fourth bonus mission in Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror. It depicts Gabe's attempt to stop Jimmy Zhou, a triad member, from releasing a bird-borne virus and rescuing Lian from the gangster. It is unlocked by completing the entire story on normal or hard mode. Walkthrough This mission is interesting because it coincides with current events... plus it's a cool setting. It can be completed in stealth, should you be careful enough. If you aren't doing it for the first time, be sure to bring lots of silenced weapons. It is best to maintain stealth and watch the radar to make sure that you're out of sight when you move (this can make playing through on hard mode difficult). First, turn on your EDSU goggles and look southeast. Shoot the little box thing and move south while staying out of sight and up against the wall. Once you're to the railing, jump up and shimmy west around the outside of the building. When you get down, pay attention to what they say - going too close to the pigeons will reveal you. Shoot an X34 gas dart into the cage - after a while, it should tell you that you've eradicated 5 birds, which is all of the ones in the cage. Note that the birds glow when you look at them with IR goggles, this will be handy later. You're now free to move about. First, move to the western edge of this area and headshot the guard closer to you. Then, turn on your EDSU goggles again and shoot the box to get an environmental kill on the other guy. Now, go and crawl under the easternmost part of the bird cage. Go up the ladder to your left and grab some ammo, and then use the RTL to go east again and drop down where the two guards were. Inside the doorway here is a medkit, which is always handy. Go and climb up to the walkway on the eastern edge of the big sign in front of you, and then fall back ASAP. For the next little while, you're going to be using stuff like X34 darts to take out enemies silently and IR goggles and radar to spot them. First, you'll be using the billboard for cover. Take out the one to the west by shooting him with a gas dart when he stops at the building corner and then detonating when the other guard looks away. Now, you're home free on the other one - just make sure you don't miss whatever shot you take. When he's down, go back up to the walkway and follow it, then take the RTL across to the other building. Now, duck down behind the chimney or whatever that is, and get ready to hit the guard to the west. Make sure that when you pop out and shoot, the other guard isn't looking - it doesn't matter when you kill him, though. Once that's done, wait for the other security guard to stop and kill him. Now, go back across the RTL path. Go to the edge of this walkway right before you drop back onto the roof and look directly north at the top of the building in front of you with your IR goggles - there's a pigeon, so kill it. Now, right behind the sign, on the farthest-east point is some hidden evidence. Turn around and go to the back wall to the north. You see the little outcrop to the right, around the corner? Either do some slick running or some jumping from below to get up there, and grab some more hidden evidence. Now, head east again and take that RTL you took from the ammo box, only this time, go as far west as you can go on it. Use your IR goggles to shoot the pigeon behind the sign. Head back to a safe landing zone, and go back across on that RTL that goes between buildings. On your way over, look at the top of the sign slightly to the left with the big smiling lady and shoot the pigeon on top of it. Drop down when you reach the other side and look west at the arrow pointing down and right. On top of that is another pigeon. On a balcony to the left and a little up from that sign is the final pigeon. Head over to the RTL at the end of this pathway. Take the RTL and instead of going across, look down and try to land on that balcony below you. Position yourself so that you're sure you won't miss, since this RTL is kinda funky and takes some tussling to work right. Anyway, drop and pick up the flak jacket, then climb up the wall and shimmy around to the left. Pick up the hidden evidence and go back the way you came. Jump back up to the RTL and go down it. Go through the doors to end the mission. Pigeons * The first five are inside a cage opposite your starting location. * Use the ladder to access a scaffolding. Grab the RTL and go to your left. When you reach the end, revolve on yourself and locate the bird behind the neon sign. * Come back to the advertising panel. On the roof behind you is another bird * Go in front of the panel and turn on your infrared goggles. A pigeon is located across the street, at about your height, a little on the right (he is over the apartment that you will have to reach later) * Another is slightly to your left, on another advertising panel on which you can see a woman * The last one is at 90 degrees on your right, perched on a big red arrow Hidden Evidence * Around the area you begin, is a roof you can climb up to. The first file is there. * Search the rooftop which has a billboard, again, close to the starting point. * At the second RTL, you can drop down halfway before entering Zhou's hideout and shimmy across the pipe you find. On the other balcony is the file you're looking for. Trivia * This mission, along with Fist Full of Rubles, Finding Freeman and Goodnight Sweetheart, are the only Dark Mirror missions that can totally be completed with stealth. * There are 6 security guards that spawn by default, and 4 more will appear if the player is discovered. * The pigeons will show up on IR goggles. * This is the first of two missions where Gabe loses his MB-150. The second is Into the Abyss. * This mission's name refers to the adage 'birds of a feather flock together'. * If the player picks up a Galil from enemies, this weapon will automatically be lost during 'Jimmy Zhou's Army'. Category:Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror Missions